Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating and TDIU remains pending. The Board has ordered additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected low back disability and to address his TDIU claim.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine and remanded it for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a medical examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's back disability is related to his active service, granting service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, thus denying the reopening of this claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left hip disability, an increased evaluation for her lumbar spine disability, and TDIU are currently on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected orthopedic manifestations of mechanical low back pain have been rated at 40 percent for the period from September 14, 2008 to November 1, 2011.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability in the claimed conditions and determined that they were not incurred during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and concluded that it is less likely than not related to his service-connected left leg disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.,The VA examiner concluded in a July 2012 addendum report that the Veteran's low back and bilateral knee disorders were not due to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and an increased rating for his depressive disorder. The Veteran's current lumbar spine disorder is not in any way directly related to service or a service-connected disability, while his depression was manifested by occasional decrease in work efficiency.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and is remanding the issue of bilateral knee disabilities due to lack of nexus opinion on secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle injury, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left hip disability as the conditions are not shown to be related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disability is not related to his military service and denied both his claim for service connection and his request for an increased rating for skin rash of the hands and feet.

The Veteran's low back disorder, diagnosed as DJD, was not incurred or aggravated during service and is presumed to have existed prior to service. His congenital anomalies of lumbarization, sacralization, and facet joint sclerosis are considered preexisting conditions that did not increase in severity during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are shown to be productive of an overall disability picture manifested by the Veteran being precluded from working at substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background beginning August 12, 2003.

The Veteran's service-connected low back strain does not render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied, and his initial rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted but assigned a non-compensable evaluation.